Iowa Hawkeyes Betting Preview – Big 10′s Sleeper Pick

The Iowa Hawkeyes have been one of the Big Ten’s better programs for the past ten years and they’ve had some big bowl wins over the likes of LSU and Florida, but they haven’t always done too well when expectations are high.

That’s the case this year as Iowa is one of the favorites in the conference, and the Hawkeyes have the talent to make a run at the Big Ten title. But the recent loss of starting running back Jewel Hampton for the season due to a knee injury could have a huge effect on the upcoming season as it was the one position Iowa doesn’t seem to have much experienced depth at going into the 2009 college football betting season.

Iowa is a listed as a team to pick in the BCS Title winner future odds, but only a fool would pick them in that category regardless of the odds because quite frankly, Iowa doesn’t have that sort of potential as a team. The Big Ten title odds are a bit more realistic with Iowa holding +500 BCS odds, but does Iowa really have a shot to win the conference?

Ricky Stanzi could become one of the best QB’s in the conference this year after he took over for highly-touted prospect Jake Christensen last year. Stanzi is a lanky athlete who sets up well and has good mechanics and is not afraid to make the big throws in the clutch. He’s the perfect game manager QB for Iowa’s offense.

The strength of the Iowa offense is definitely the o-line as head coach Kirk Ferentz’s maniacal recruiting efforts on that front are paying big dividends. Bryan Bulaga and company have the ability pummel just about any defensive line in the conference when they get confidence.

The defense lost DT stars Matt Kroul and especially Mitch King which should sting, but six of the back seven return and those positions are always the hardest spots for the gritty Hawkeyes to find enough athletes at. The defense as a whole should be one of the conference’s best led by linebacker Pat Angerer, who has a prototypical name and game for the Big Ten.

Revisiting the +500 odds for a Big Ten title and taking into account the fact that Iowa plays both at Penn State and at Ohio State, it doesn’t look like Ferentz and company’s year to bring that prize home.But the Hawkeyes should be a very good team if they can find a running back and one that could restore some Big Ten pride during bowl season with another win over an SEC team like the scored last year in a blowout of South Carolina.